Donald M. Payne: “My amendment affirms that minority and low- income communities disproportionately bear the costs of climate change. If…”

“My amendment affirms that minority and low- income communities disproportionately bear the costs of climate change. If this misguided bill were to become law, the increased emissions from oil and gas drilling would increase greenhouse gas emissions, further exacerbating climate change. Most of the impact would fall on these vulnerable communities. This is something we know all too well in my district. In Newark, minority communities have been dealing with runoff, waste, and pollution for over a century. In 2021, EPA scientists confirmed that minorities are 40 percent more likely to live in areas with extreme temperature-related deaths and 34 percent more likely to live in areas with high concentrations of childhood asthma. Extreme weather events also threaten these communities. Black Americans are 10 percent more likely to live in inland floodplains. Latinos are 43 percent more likely to work in industries vulnerable to heat-related deaths, and low-income Americans are projected to experience a 7 percent increase in premature deaths due to global warming. The dangers of extreme weather were made clear for my district during the Tropical Storm Ida floods in 2021. It was the poorest communities in my district that experienced the worst damages from the floods that filled people's homes and apartments. That is why this amendment is necessary. We know that more drilling increases greenhouse gas emissions.…”